Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Peter Obi, his rival on the platform of the Labour Party, have started unfolding their agenda for the Nigerian economy ahead of the 2023 elections.
Atiku, who won the PDP presidential ticket on Saturday, said he had put together a development agenda that would seek to alter the current trajectory of the Nigerian economy, unite the country and tackle insecurity, among others.
Obi emerged on Monday the flagbearer of Labour Party, which he joined last week after he withdrew from the PDP presidential primary and left the party.
He said his governance mission would focus on “national security, human security, food security and tackling insecurity created by unemployment”.
As contained in the yet-to-be-unveiled development agenda seen by BusinessDay, Atiku hopes to build a competitive, and resilient economy that would remain the largest in Africa and 15th largest globally. His target is to see Nigeria’s GDP per capita rise from the current level of $2,000 to $5,000 by 2030.
He also hopes to drive a “respectable economic growth performance” above the sub-Saharan Africa’s average, while driving a diversified economy with strong linkages among key sectors like the oil and gas, agriculture, manufacturing as well as MSMEs to strengthen the productive base of the economy.
He would also strive to expand Nigeria’s export base, which would consist of manufactured, processed agricultural goods, refined petroleum, and gas products.
For Atiku, a knowledge-based economy in which a highly developed ICT sector, with wide application in commerce, education, health, and other areas of human endeavour, plays a significant role would be critical, as well as an economy that provides opportunities for jobs, incomes and lift citizens out of poverty.
In the policy document, which he calls his ‘Covenant with Nigerians’, he pledged to restore Nigeria’s unity, tackle insecurity, build a vibrant economy, strengthen the education system, and promote true federalism if finally elected the President of Africa’s largest economy by February 2023.
“Our economic agenda has an overarching objective of providing a more hospitable environment for businesses to thrive and create jobs and wealth for Nigerian citizens,” the document said.
Atiku’s economic agenda is guided by three main principles: “reaffirm the criticality of private-sector leadership and greater private sector participation in development; while repositioning the public sector to focus on its core responsibility of facilitation and enabling the appropriate legal and regulatory framework for rapid economic and social development.
“Break government monopoly in all infrastructure sectors, including the refineries, rail transportation and power transmission and give private investors a larger role in funding and managing the sectors, thus emulating the benefits accrued in the oil & gas and telecoms sectors.
“Allow the market greater leverage in determining prices in order to eliminate the persistent price distortions occasioned by current interventionist exchange rate management policy.”
According to him, government intervention, where absolutely necessary, will be done responsibly and judiciously.
Atiku said no other time has poverty in the quality of leadership and governance been worse than since 2015.
The document specifically spelt out his commitment to a 5-point development agenda which seeks to: “restore Nigeria’s unity through equity, social justice as well as co-operation and consensus amongst our heterogenous peoples.
“Establish a strong and effective democracy government that guarantees the safety and security of life and property. Build a strong, resilient, and prosperous economy that creates jobs and wealth and li s the poor out of poverty.
“Promote a true federal system, which will provide for a strong federal government to guarantee national unity while allowing the federating units to set their own priorities.
“Improve and strengthen the education system to equip its recipients with the education and skills required to be competitive in the new global order which is driven by innovation, science, and technology and to lead healthy, productive, meaningful lives.”
Atiku said his mission was to provide the appropriate political leadership to implement a robust development agenda and facilitate the realisation of his vision for the country, which according to him, is “To foster a united secure and prosperous Nigeria in which all citizens can live a happy, healthy and productive life.”
Obi, in his acceptance speech, provided a glimpse of what his top governance priorities would be, saying he would in the days ahead publish his governance manifesto.
He said: “Our governance mission will be twin-tracked. Secure Nigeria in every ramification: national security, human security, food security and tackling insecurity created by unemployment.
“We will also seek to unite our nation by pulling our people out of poverty and creating a new sense of nationalism and patriotism. Nigeria shall rise again: and her people will be proud to claim ownership of her patrimony. Doing so is in our collective national interest.”
Read also: Who be dis Peter Obi sef?
He said no region, state, local government or communities would be left behind if given the chance to become the next President.
The former governor of Anambra State said: “History beckons. Nigerians remain hopeful for a national rebirth, which implies returning Nigeria to Nigerians –farmers, teachers and students, lecturers, artisans, workers, pensioners and over a hundred million poor Nigerians who are not sure where their next meal will come from.”
Decrying what he described as “many years of cumulative leadership failure”, he said: “Painfully, our current dysfunctional system rewards unearned income and conspicuous consumption; allows university lecturers to remain on strike for months; keep our youths at home; and owe pensioners, who gave their patriotic sweat and their youthful energy to serve this country.
“The despicable contrast is that those responsible for the mess – those elected to take care of them – have abandoned the national currency and are living in opulence and like kings, spend dollars to buy delegates as well as houses all over the world. Meanwhile, they owe most workers, lecturers and retirees.”
According to Obi, the country has been hijacked by forces of retrogression and is almost zero in all indices of development.
He said: “As a result, our future, especially those of the youth and generations unborn is in ruins. We have become a laughing stock among other nations, including African countries where we were once revered.
“As a party that represents the workers and masses of this great nation, we are people organised and working for our economic rebirth. As I am nominated today, I humbly proclaim that the journey towards the emancipation of the country has begun.”
